Celiac Warrior Gal

As I sift through various videos on Youtube, I see young people discussing how they suspect they have Celiac disease. They tell their viewers that they are trying gluten free food to see if it will help them. Meanwhile, their doctor schedules them for a biopsy. These young people go to the biopsy, and a week later, they find out they tested negative. The young person goes back to eating regular food. Their symptoms come back.The young person is at a loss, and wonders "what the hell is going on?" The above scenario does happen. Beginning a gluten free diet, before a biopsy, makes it harder for a doctor to diagnose you with Celiac disease. When someone eats gluten free, before a biopsy, the small intestine begins healing itself. When a doctor goes in to study the biopsy, he or she will be unable to spot the damage, and he/she will end up misdiagnosing you. It is absolutely imperative that you do NOT begin a gluten free diet, until your doctor diagnoses you with Celiac di

 As promised, I am going to discuss gluten free appliances. Today, I'm going to discuss toasters. For any bagel and English muffin fan, there is no other way to eat these items, except when they're toasted. As for myself, I haven't had a bagel or English muffin in almost 3 years. They were my go-to breakfast items, when I was in a rush to get to work or school. After I was diagnosed with Celiac disease, I wasn't exactly schooled in the non-food aspect of living gluten free. I know that I had to eat gluten free, but, to have to use separate appliances and cookware? That was a whole different ball game for me. Recently, I bought myself a toaster. For the first time, in over 2 years, I was able to have bagels and English muffins...gluten free of course. Since I live with my boyfriend, I had to make sure that he knew not to use my toaster. I will be investing in some gluten free labels for items that need to stay away from his gluteny food. It is important to have s

Good morning everyone. Yesterday I spoke about how I still struggle with the non-food aspect of being gluten free. This morning, I decided to research what fellow Celiacs use to cook with, and a huge majority of Celiacs cook with Stainless Steel and Hard Anodized Aluminum pots and pans. A fellow Celiac did tell me that cooking with non-stick can be an issue, as it holds onto specks of gluten. Since even the tiniest bit of gluten can send us running to the bathroom, we need to take every precaution necessary. Even if that means divvying out the dough to buy new cookware. I know, the economy is a pain, and the majority of us are living paycheck to paycheck. However, the benefits of buying the cookware are priceless. Think about it like this, if you continue to cook on the non-stick pans, you are putting yourself at risk for being sick. Which means, you won't be able to EARN that paycheck. In conclusion, you won't be living paycheck to paycheck. I couldn't find a specific br

It's been almost two years since my diagnosis, and while I have learned a lot about nutrition, I haven't really thought about the non-food aspect of living with Celiac disease. I'm talking gluten free shampoo, conditioner, hair product, lotion, detergent, cookware, etc. The non-food aspect of living with Celiac disease is hardly talked about. However, it is equally as important as eating gluten free. I've been reading blogs written by other Celiacs, and those bloggers are 100% gluten free. They use gluten free soaps, and have special cookware, completely dedicated to gluten free cooking. This is something that I am going to start integrating into my life. Becoming 100% gluten free is tough. It is a complete lifestyle change, and is very expensive. As expensive and life-changing as it is, it is worth the effort. This is for our health. We can either be sick, or make these changes in our lives. I will be discussing this topic more in the next couple of days.

Following in the footsteps of Ronzoni, Barilla is in the process of introducing a line of gluten free pastas. These pastas will include: Spaghetti Penne Rotini Elbows The gluten free pasta is being produced in a gluten free facility in Italy. The pastas will be made with a combination of non-GMO rice and corn. The pasta will be sold in 12 ounce boxes. The price of the pasta is expected to be $2.39. The price isn't bad, considering what we already spend on satisfactory pastas. Look for Barilla's gluten free pasta line to hit supermarket shelves, in early 2014. Some stores may see the pastas sooner, however. There is word that consumers could see the gluten free pastas, at select stores, as early as next month. The pastas will be available, nationally, in 2014. I don't know about you, but, I'm excited for this. Before I was diagnosed with Celiac disease, I was a huge fan of Barilla pasta. Aside from homemade pasta, it was the best pasta that I have ever had. T

Attention fellow Celiacs, and those whom are gluten intolerant! Do you work out, and have trouble finding a protein shake that is safe to consume? I have some exciting news for you! Recently, Designer Whey announced that it is now Certified Gluten Free! Testing at less than 10ppm, it is one of the first protein brands to carry the official gluten free logo. All Designer Whey products, including their protein bars are certified gluten free. Expect to see the certified gluten free logo on Designer Whey products this fall. I am excited about this because I love an active lifestyle. It has been tough to find a protein brand that I can trust. Knowing that Designer Whey cares about us, and has gone above and beyond for our community, I feel safe spending my money on their products. We need to support companies that support us. Certified GF, or bust! source: http://www.food-business-review.com/news/designer-whey-secures-gluten-free-certification-for-entire-product-range-090813

Fellow Celiacs, we all know how important it is for us to take vitamins in order to keep our body healthy. However, there is one vitamin that we should all avoid: One a Day's Vitacraves Adult Multivitamin Gummies. These gummies contain wheat. The gummies have Glucose Syrup in them. In terms of US made products, the Glucose Syrup is derived from corn. In Europeon countries, the Glucose Syrup is derived from wheat. Bayer has confirmed this. The One a Day Vitacraves Adult Multivitamin Gummies, were made in Europe. If you have Celiac/gluten intolerant children, I recommend not giving them gummy vitamins. One a Day reps have said that it is safe, since it tested at 20ppm or less. However, those that are very sensitive to gluten, I would suggest not purchasing this product. For a list of gluten free vitamins for Celiac kids and adults, visit: http://www.theceliacdiva.com/gluten-free-vitamins/ source: http://www.glutenfreegigi.com/ingredients-inside-one-a-day-vitamins/

While great strides have been made in researching and understanding Celiac disease, there are many questions that have been left unanswered. However, one question that can be answered, is about the link between Celiac disease, and Lymphoma. Scientists measured the risk of Lymphoma in Celiac disease patients, by looking for persistent villious atrophy in the patient. It has been shown that patients, who have maintained a gluten free diet, even for a year, can still have persistent villious atrophy. This could be due to accidental intake of gluten. The only way to heal from persistent villious atrophy, is to maintain a very strict gluten free diet. If left untreated, you put yourself at a higher risk for Lymphoma. Those who have persistent villious atrophy, have a 3.78-fold increase in developing Lymphoma. However, those who are in the process of healing, only have a 1.5-fold increase in developing Lymphoma. The specific type of Lymphoma that we are at risk for is, Non-Hodgkins Ly

*Disclaimer: These “diary entries” are a sneak peek into the book I am currently writing. The book is about a 14 year old girl who was just diagnosed with Celiac disease. The “diary entries” will discuss how she is dealing with her diagnosis, the summer before she starts high school. If you have any questions about this story, please contact me, or comment below. I hope you enjoy this series!* 7/25/2010 Dear Diary, "I have been doing a lot of thinking lately, and I'm not going to let loser boy Kevin, get me upset. If he is going to be a jerk about me having Celiac disease, he can go kick rocks. Today, I decided to get out of the house, and go to the mall. I needed to walk around and clear my head. I know I will come to terms with having Celiac disease. I just don't want this to ruin my social life. What if I'm around more jerks like Kevin? I know I shouldn't worry. I need to just enjoy my freedom before 9th grade starts. It would be easier if my pals wer

Hey everyone. I'm sure you all heard the exciting news from last week. The FDA is requiring that gluten free foods must meet the government's new standard of labeling. Basically, things are going to get a lot easier for new and seasoned Celiacs, in terms of purchasing foods that won't get us sick. In a press release from the FDA last week, it states that " in order to use the term "gluten-free" on its label, a food must meet all of the requirements of the definition, including that the food must contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten ( http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm363474.htm ) . " It also states that foods claiming "no gluten" and "free of gluten," to meet the definition of gluten free. This is amazing news for the Celiac and gluten sensitive communities. When I was first diagnosed with Celiac disease, I was completely lost, when it came to what foods I could eat. I spent a ton of t

Today, I was inspired to write about having Celiac disease, and being in social situations. As a Celiac, I have felt rather left out of social situations. The places I used to eat at, I cannot eat at anymore. When my friends want to go to an Italian restaurant, a bar, or a diner, I never get invited. Friends of mine who barhop, never invite me because bars in my area do not carry gluten free beer. I have spoken to a few Celiacs, and there are some who also feel left out of social situations. I have decided to write about how we can be included in social situations. Since Celiac disease is still unknown (and I say unknown because people don't really talk about the facts when it comes to Celiac disease), I think it is our duty to educate our loved ones about what we are all about. Gluten Free Dinner Night Wouldn't it be fun if we invited our loved ones over for an amazing gluten free dinner night? We can put on our favorite apron, wear a chefs hat, and cook up a storm! We ca

Good morning to all my gluten free pasta lovers! I may have spoken about Ronzoni coming out with a gluten free pasta, some posts back. Last night, I picked up a box at my local supermarket, and decided to give it a try. The pasta is made up of brown rice, quinoa, and corn flour. The box suggests that it tastes like regular white pasta. I looked at the box, thinking, "Challenge accepted." I followed the directions exactly, and finished cooking the pasta fairly quickly. I put some gluten free pasta sauce on top, and sat down to eat. The pasta was, by far, the best gluten free pasta that I have ever tried! It is not mushy, or hard at all. It tasted like normal pasta! It blew my mind. I am a Al Dente fan. If pasta is NOT cooked Al Dente, I won't eat it. To cook Ronzoni Rotini Al Dente: Follow the instructions on the package, and cook for 7 minutes exactly.  In addition to adding a pinch of salt, I added a touch of olive oil to the water.  Once the water boiled,

*Disclaimer: These “diary entries” are a sneak peek into the book I am currently writing. The book is about a 14 year old girl who was just diagnosed with Celiac disease. The “diary entries” will discuss how she is dealing with her diagnosis, the summer before she starts high school. If you have any questions about this story, please contact me, or comment below. I hope you enjoy this series!* Dear diary, “The past few days, I been keeping a low profile. After the humiliation at the mall, I been too freaked to go out. I spent some time on facebook, talking to some of my online friends. We play Farmville together. Mom and I went out for coffee earlier today. She had the coffee, and I had a Green Tea Frap. It was delish! Mom and I had a great talk, and then I saw Kevin walk in with some sleazy girl. She They ordered soup and sandwiches, and sat at a table in front of us. Kevin was facing me, and gave me a total stink face look. He grabbed sleaze girl’s hand and kissed it. I swear, I thr